2nd overall wouldn’t be that bad for the Chicago Blackhawks

The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery is taking place on Monday night. The Chicago Blackhawks and their fans are going to be paying attention with great interest as the event takes place.

Of course, all of the hype is going to be surrounding Connor Bedard. He is a generational talent that is going to be the first overall pick in the draft no matter who wins the lottery.

This is one of those “no question about it” years when it comes to that. The winner of the lottery is going to see their franchise changed forever.

With all of that in mind, coming in second place wouldn’t be all that bad for Chicago. They already have a very nice prospect farm that they have recently started to rebuild.

The Chicago Blackhawks wouldn’t mind coming in second place in the lottery.

Coming in second would almost surely guarantee that Adam Fantilli is coming to town. Adding a forward like that would just add another star to the Blackhawks organization that is rebuilding the hard way.

Fantilli is coming off an amazing year with the University of Michigan. He was named the Hobey Baker Award winner which goes to the kid deemed to be the best college hockey player in the nation. It is incredibly rare for a freshman to do that and Fantilli did.

He has a great shot, an ability to make plays, a good defensive ability, and a winning attitude. There is a sense of meanness to him that should make every team want him badly. He takes hockey very seriously and will make an impact on the NHL right when he gets there.

We don’t know if he is going to go back to school or not for another year but there are pros and cons to it. He’d certainly put on more weight next year if he goes back to school because he’d hit the gym a lot more. However, if he was the best player as a freshman, how much better can he get there?

One thing to note is the fact that he’d probably actually play with more talented players at Michigan than the 2023-24 Blackhawks. All of these variables will go into a decision on his future in the short term.

Fantilli is a natural centerman which is also something to be excited about if he comes to your team. He has the potential to be a high-end franchise center which is something every team in the league wants. He isn’t Bedard in terms of skill but nobody will be mad about landing him.